This blog post was originally written and published on the We Rock Tech blog here by CF: G Community blogger Catherine Heath.

We hope you were able to make it to yet another fantastic conference by Code First: Girls. If not, we’ve got this awesome write up for you to find out what went on.

The mission of Code First: Girls is to inspire more women to enter into technology and entrepreneurship. ​Whether you’re looking to become a developer, want to work in startups, a big tech company or just want to see whether it could be for you, the conference gave an insight into the amazing developments happening in technology, as well as information on how to break your way in.

In this spirit, the day featured a number of impressive industry speakers. There were also pitches from companies who are actively seeking to inspire more women into tech.

The agendaIt was an action-packed day with motivational speeches, insightful panel discussions, illuminating tech talks, as well as networking and a chance to hear from tech companies about what they look for in candidates. ​

Luciana Carvalho, founder of SE Solutions, talked about narratives of self in Virtual Reality and how VR can change people’s lives outside of games. She touched on VR’s power to create empathy for others.Heather Lauren of Founders & Coders talked to attendees about how to get their first job in tech.Big players in finance discussed the future of money in relation to tech. Makis Otman & Daisy Molving from 8th Light gave a talk on "The Elixir of Joy", introducing beginners to Elixir as a great programming language to learn.

Technology - a Ticking Timebomb?Several speakers, including Eleanor Harding from Twitter, Ben Aung from the Cabinet Office, Sophie Caley from Tesco Labs participated in a panel about "Technology - a Ticking Timebomb?". It was moderated by Kirsty Styles from Tech North.

Discussions included how the most shared story during the Trump/Clinton elections was a fake news article. This raised questions about the responsibility of technology companies to promote the truth.

The issue of consent and technology being so widespread means we could be doing more to ensure people have given their permission to become users. We’re so dependent on technology, that a power outage across the United States resulted in lots of people being unable to live their lives properly for a couple of days.

On the other hand, technology enables freedom of speech, and the better the technology becomes, the more invisible it feels. Technology will change how the government legislates, and is already enabling collaboration between civil servants across the country. This results in better laws and more efficiency.Above all, “Let technology take you closer to where you want to be,” says Eleanor Harding from Twitter.

Jade Daubney from ThoughtWorksJade Daubney from ThoughtWorks advises everyone to develop their self belief. “This is your turn to do what you want to do, and learn how to be a woman in tech who’s brave enough and strong enough to follow her own path,” Jade says. “Every month, 36 new roles appear in technology.”

She talked in depth about how to start your career in tech. She recommends building your network by attending conferences and meetups like this one.

“Networking is not schmoozing. It’s finding a connection and someone you can trust. It’s not about you - it’s about them. The most important thing about networking is finding common interests.”​Great advice!

What’s holding you backGood Girl Syndrome is where women are afraid to rock the boat at work. Now, with the gender pay gap, from now until the end of the year, women are working for free. Jade recommends speaking up at work if you think something should change.

When it comes to getting a job, don’t underestimate the power of the cover letter. It should add something different to your application to your CV and provide an insight into the type of person you are. If you’ve attended other tech-related activities, like hackathons, include these on your CV too!

Imposter Syndrome is also common in women. No matter how much you achieve, you still feel unqualified. Women are too apologetic about their achievements and they need to embrace bragging more.

To get over Imposter Syndrome, ask someone to look at your CV before you send it anywhere to check you’re not underselling yourself. If you’re invited to do something, remind yourself that you are good enough!

Don’t worry if you missed it an edited video of the entire conference will be added to the CF: G website shortly courtesy of our Media Partner Intelligent Crowd TV!Watch this space! In the meantime check out the #CFGConf16 hashtag from the day, and the Periscope live stream of the talks.

CF: G have loads of events on throughout the year which you can find listed here .